Justice and Liberty
by perpetualpathology
Summary: Jonny has been released from prison after being cleared of all charges and his short detention in custody has given him a new outlook on life. He's determined to see that Emma will grow up with both of her parents in her life, but will his attempt be successful?


**I know that this doesn't fit with the story line for next week but I wanted to write a little oneshot while I'm taking a break from my revision and this came to mind :)**

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"I-I thought you weren't getting out until tomorrow." Jac stuttered after opening her front door to reveal the father of her child who stood with dark stubble about his chin and neck, and a small bag with what little belongings he had been allowed in his prison cell.

"I'm an innocent man; they've no reason to imprison me." He replied though he had a more pressing issue and he was very eager to have it seen to. "Where's my wee girl? I haven't seen her for a fortnight."

"I've just put her down for the night." Jac replied slowly as she knew it wouldn't be what he wanted to hear.

"Right… Nevermind, I know how grumpy she gets when you wake her up before the sun rises." He forced a smile. "Jac, I can't thank you enough for paying for my lawyer. He was bloody brilliant and I doubt I'd be standing here now if it hadn't have been for him."

"Who said I paid for him?" Jac enquired.

"It doesn't take a world class heart surgeon to work it out. I know Guy doesn't support me and Elliot and Mo told me that it wasn't them when they came to visit. Really, you've been great and stepping up and taking in Emma… I don't know what I'd have done without your help." Jonny said gratefully.

"I'll pack Emma's things up and you can take her home in the morning."

"No, no I don't want to do that because I know the minute you hand her over you'll refuse to see her again." Jonny protested.

"So what? You don't want Emma back after you came around here _just _to see her?" The consultant frowned.

"I'm not saying that. I'm saying that these last two weeks have shown me how much I have to lose and not a minute when by in that concrete cell when I didn't think about you and Emma."

"Me?"

"Mo visited me on my first night and told me she saw you carrying Emma out to your car to take her home. I knew you'd look after Emma and I kept on hoping that you'd realise that you're nothing like Paula because you have it in you to be a great mum Jac, you really do. You just have to sit down with me and we can sort out a schedule and we can finally have a go at co-parenting, properly."

"Jonny, she never smiles when she's with me like she does when she's with you – her face lights up as soon as you enter the room. I want what's best for her, and that is clearly to have you as her father." Jac sighed.

"That's because she needs time to get used to you again Jac. Please, Emma needs her mum. I said and did some horrible things in the past, things that I'll never be able to forgive myself for, but now I understand and I know why you are like you are–"

"You know nothing about me." Jac declared.

"Jac I know you don't want to hear this but your mum told me about a lot more than her travels when she knew her time was coming. I know she left you when you were young, I know you had to grow up on your own and I know you might be worried about becoming like her but you're not. You are your own person, you are Jac Naylor and whether you like it or not, you're the mother of my child and I'm not having it any other way."

"Oh so it's your decision is it? You're going to _make_ me be her mother?" The auburn haired woman asked as she folded her arms across her chest and raised an eyebrow. It seemed the heat of the moment had passed and Jonny was relieved that they had avoided a shouting contest given the fact that his fourteen month old toddler was sleeping not far away.

"I don't need to make you because I know you _want_ to be Emma's mum. And you can't deny that because if you didn't, you wouldn't have taken her in."

"I–" Jac stopped as she heard a noise behind her and she turned to see her daughter appear in the doorway of her bedroom. "What have I told you about getting out of bed by yourself?" Jac scalded playfully whilst she allowed Jonny to step past her as he had clearly missed his daughter.

"Hello you!" Jonny whispered happily as he bent down and picked the girl in her pink polka dot pyjamas up. "Emma I missed you so much sweetheart." Jonny said softly as he hugged her tightly. "Did mummy get you your first bed?" He questioned as he knew if she was sleeping in a cot there was no way she'd have been able to escape it herself without causing an injury.

"She was too big for the cot I had so I got her a toddler bed." Jac informed the Scotsman before she closed the front door. "It's basically a mattress on a floor in a pink wooden frame so she can't fall far."

"You don't have to justify yourself, it's fine." Jonny said reassuringly. "Could you not sleep darlin'?" He cooed and in reply, his daughter pouted and shook her head. "Aw, well that's not good is it? Why don't I come and tuck you in, and then I can read you a quick story, eh?"

"Two stories in one night? And there was me thinking we shouldn't spoil her."

"What? You've read a story to her?" Jonny grinned.

"It's on the list you left with her things and she was already confused with the change of carer and a different home – I didn't want to upset her any further." Jac nodded. "Her books are on the shelf next to the wardrobe." Jac stated as though she was giving permission for Jonny to go into the infant's room – it was her flat after all.

"Thanks." Jonny smiled before he carried his beautiful child through to her bedroom which was lit by a light that projected moving stars across her ceiling as Emma couldn't sleep in complete darkness.

* * *

"She's out like a light." Jonny smiled as he crept through the living room where he found Jac collecting something from her printer in the corner of the room. "What's that?"

"It's a proposed co-parenting schedule… I made it months ago." Jac replied as she handed the sheet of paper over to him.

"Why haven't you showed this to me before?" He asked after evaluating the timetable to find that it was in fact fair – it was over two weeks and it worked out that they would both have their daughter for 7 nights each.

"It doesn't matter." Jac muttered.

"Yeah, of course it does."

"If you must know, I made it the night before you declared that you wanted sole custody of Emma." She sighed.

"And you'd be willing to give this schedule a go, starting from tomorrow?"

"No, I just printed it out for the fun of it." Jac said sarcastically.

"Well who'd have thought it eh? We can get on. It just took a short prison sentence to get us there." Jonny quipped.

"Right, I'll see you at work tomorrow. And I'll bring Emma's bag of things to the crèche with her for when you pick her up. We'll have to sort out doubles of everything at the weekend so we won't have to move things between our places each time."

"Okay, I'll see you tomorrow. And I meant what I said, thanks. For the lawyer, for taking Emma in and for giving motherhood another chance." He said gratefully as he was shown to the front door.

"Just a tip, you might want a shave before work tomorrow. You really don't suit the stubble look and you might scare some of the patients." Jac retorted.

"Thank you. I'll bear that in mind." Jonny smirked as he left her apartment whilst Jac closed the door behind him and then locked up for the night. She walked through to Emma's bedroom and looked down at the toddler's bed where her daughter was fast asleep under her pink duvet with her soft yellow blanket, silky side up, clutched in her small fists and the starry projector was still beaming pale blue stars onto the walls and ceilings.

Jac leant in the doorway and observed the innocent little girl who didn't have a single care in the world. She knew co-parenting would be difficult but she had Jonny alongside her to guide her along the way and so maybe being in Emma's life was the best thing for her after all.

"Night Emma." Jac whispered before she padded away to her own bedroom to get some rest after the long day at work.

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**Thank you very much for reading, please leave me a review and let me know what you think of this oneshot :)**


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